


Present for You

by dupergal



Category: THE iDOLM@STER, The iDOLM@STER Sidem
Genre: Christmas, First Kiss, Fluff, Kaoru is the best secret wingman, Love Confessions, M/M, Secret Santa, SideM Secret Santa 2018, a lot of characters make cameos!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-30 01:46:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17214701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dupergal/pseuds/dupergal
Summary: “Teru turns his back on Tsubasa and opens his own assignment. He blinks at the paper a few times. Checks the back side to see if it was a mistake.It takes a few moments for his brain to process the the name written in Ken’s slightly slanted writing:Kashiwagi Tsubasa”*The upper management of 315 Productions decide to hold a Secret Santa gift exchange. After drawing Tsubasa’s name, Teru thinks this might finally be his chance to tell Tsubasa how he feels.





	Present for You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [arihara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/arihara/gifts).



> Merry (late) Christmas!
> 
> This fic was written as a gift for @soumoris on twitter! thank you so much for your patience, I know I was definitely cutting it close with this one, but I really hope you enjoy~!!
> 
> (also thanks for requesting TeruTsuba bc they are my life and it's criminal that there are basically 0 fics for them, so thank you for helping me change that, one fic at a time l m a o)

“Everyone!” Ken’s cheerful yell fills the offices of 315 Productions, where all of the idols of the agency are hard at work decorating their quaint office space with Christmas decorations. Teru glances over at Ken from the kitchen, where he’s been baking and decorating cookies alongside Soichiro, wielding his wooden spoon like a sword to smack prying hands away from the batter:  Kamiya’s been nursing a sore hand for the better part of an hour, and Teru’s become a little frightened by Soichiro’s ruthlessness. “Please come into the lounge, we have a surprise for you!” Ken calls out.

Teru wipes his hands on his orange apron and wanders into the lounge, where Ken and the Producer and standing smiling by their company Christmas tree, decorated with bright blue and silver tinsel and custom ornaments made for each of the units. The two of them are wearing hideous Christmas sweaters bearing the 315 Productions logo and Santa hats. Ken holds two red bowls painted with caricatures of trees, snowmen, and reindeer.

It’s a tight squeeze, but the lounge slowly fills with the sound of chattering idols full of Christmas cheer. Teru’s eyes fall on Pierre, jumping happily in his reindeer kigurumi (and a matching one for Kaerre, of course) between Kyoji and Minori, who smile at him with fondness not unlike that of proud parents.

And then Teru senses a familiar, tall presence behind him, and he turns to meet the soft eyes of Tsubasa, who’s gentle smile never fails to make Teru grin in response. Somehow he’d acquired his own Santa hat, and paired with his cozy oversized green sweater Teru can barely contain the urge to hug him. Especially when he hands over another Santa hat almost sheepishly, his cheeks dusted pink.

“I-I...got this for you, Teru-san! Although I half expected you to already be wearing one so I wasn’t sure if I should bring it or not, I’m glad I did!” In a bold move, Tsubasa leans in close and tucks the hat over Teru’s head. Teru couldn’t help but catch a whiff of Tsubasa’s cologne, the scent like a clean, crisp breeze. 

“There, now you look really festive!” He laughs and claps his hands together. His eyes are squeezed so closed from the force of his smile that his irises have all but disappeared. Teru can’t stop staring.

“If you two are quite done,” a slightly disappointed voice says behind them, causing the two of them to jump apart bashfully. Kaoru clears his throat loudly and adjusts his glasses, looking just this side of irritated. “I think Producer-san and Yamamura-san are ready to start.”

As if on cue, the Producer clears his throat and announces that 315 Productions will be hosting a Secret Santa this year, where each idol will get to randomly pick a name from the bowl to secretly buy a gift for, and then at their annual Christmas party the secrets will be revealed. Teru notices Nao, Kanon, and Shiro practically vibrating from where the three of them are sitting cross-legged on the floor, their eyes wide and excited about over the idea of secret presents.

Ken holds the bowl in his right hand up. “For the sake of speed, would someone like to volunteer to help me pass out the Secret Santa assignments?”

Almost as if he had been preparing for this moment for hours -- and to Teru and Tsubasa’s clear surprise -- Kaoru steps forward before anyone has a second to think, gesturing to the bowl. “I’d be happy to help; the faster we do this, the faster all of us can get back to work.” Maybe it was the trick of the light, but Teru could’ve sworn that Kaoru had directed that comment at him. He pouts regardless.

Michio makes a soft noise to Teru’s far right as Kaoru accepts the bowl and he and Ken begin offering the slips of paper inside to the idols on opposite corners of the room. “How trustworthy, with Sakuraba-san’s due diligence, efficiency, and attention to detail, I’m certain that we’ve shortened the approximate amount of time to complete this exchange by three minutes and thirty-five seconds,” Michio says almost offhandedly to Jiro and Rui, digging his hand to the bottom of the bowl and opening up the folded piece of paper he grabs, pressing it to his chest almost immediately after reading. The fond, goofy smile that’s spreading across his face is an expression Teru’s never seen him make before.

Suddenly a bright red bowl fills his vision, Kaoru’s unimpressed stare just behind it. He shakes the bowl in his face, rustling the papers around. “Stop staring into space, Tendo,” Kaoru says. “I’d like to get this over with so we can all return to work.”

“Aw, c’mon Sakuraba, where’s your Chris-mas cheer?” Teru grins, pointing his thumb over his shoulder at Chris, who is speaking animatedly to Sora and Amehiko. Kaoru scowls at Teru’s terrible pun and simply shakes the bowl again; Teru concedes and shoves his hand in and pulls out the first slip he touches. “I know you’re actually having fun putting up the decorations with everyone, right? That’s why you volunteered to help hand out the Secret Santa assignments?” he teases.

Kaoru yanks the bowl back and glares, but Teru can see the faint blush on his cheeks. “Of course not, that’s preposterous.” He pushes his glasses up and turns away. “If you’ll excuse me, I still have names to hand out.” Teru chuckles knowingly as Kaoru quickly thrusts the bowl at Tsubasa before walking over to Suzaku, who shouts triumphantly after opening his paper.

Speaking of paper.

Teru turns his back on Tsubasa and opens his own assignment. He blinks at the paper a few times. Checks the back side to see if it was a mistake.

It takes a few moments for his brain to process the the name written in Ken’s slightly slanted writing:

_Kashiwagi Tsubasa_

*

“Teru-saaaaan~!!”

Teru looks up from his phone at the sound of his name, quickly straightening from where he’s leaning against a post at the train station. He’s greeted with the sight of Tsubasa jogging towards him, his hair mussed and his huge oversized green striped scarf engulfing half of his flushed face. A smile pulled across Teru’s face involuntarily at the sight of him, and he could feel his cheeks dust with red as Tsubasa’s matching grin shines as bright as the sun.

“Yo, Tsubasa!” Teru waves a hand and slides his phone back into his coat pocket as Tsubasa stops and bends over in front of him, hands on his knees and panting for a quick moment for straightening himself up.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Teru-san,” Tsubasa gets out between deeper breaths. “I had to drop off my brother and sister at school this morning and lost track of time…” he trails off, running a hand through his hair in a feeble attempt to restyle it after his brisk run. The cold, white puffs of his breath encircle his face, giving him an almost ethereal look when paired with that still brilliantly-bright smile--at least, in Teru’s eyes

Without thinking, Teru steps forward and brushes a strand of Tsubasa’s mussed hair out of his eyes, his fingertips grazing the skin of Tsubasa’s forehead ever so slightly. Teru drinks in the sight of Tsubasa’s pale blue eyes growing nearly comically wide, his mouth moving into a small “O” shape, the slow spread of crimson heat on his face from Teru’s action… before Teru suddenly leaps back, slapping a hand over his mouth and literally _feeling_ the dark heat of his face underneath the palm of his hand.

“Teru-san…” Tsubasa breathes softly, his other hand coming up to his bangs, almost as if chasing Teru’s touch.

Teru, of course, is looking anywhere but at Tsubasa, the embarrassment of it all too much for him as he tries to will the blush to disappear. He laughs too loudly and throws a hand across Tsubasa’s shoulders. “I-it’s no problem, Tsubasa! I wasn’t waiting long! Now let’s go shopping!” he practically yells, laughing again at nothing to cover his nervousness.

As Teru awkwardly marches down the street, he misses Tsubasa’s soft smile and the way he leans just ever so slightly against Teru’s shoulder.

They walk together down the streets of Tokyo side-by-side, the white clouds of their breath mixing together as they chat and laugh. Neither of them comment on the way they bump shoulders more often than not, that the backs of their hands seem to brush almost every other step. Selfishly, Teru is glad that Kaoru couldn’t accept Tsubasa’s shopping invitation; despite the way Tsubasa’s face fell when Kaoru said he was busy, he can’t help but feel like Kaoru’s decision has given him a precious gift.

Teru watches in genuine amusement when Tsubasa’s eyes light up at a colourful display of cakes and candies in a shop window, the fairy lights wound around candy Christmas trees twinkling in his eyes as he nearly presses his face against the glass.

“Teru-san,” Tsubasa is practically drooling on the windowsill. “These look so delicious, do you mind if I…?” Before Tsubasa has even finished his sentence, Teru has looped his arm through his with a beaming smile, pulling them into the warmth of the dessert shop and the throes of the smell of fresh pastries being baked. Ok, now Teru’s mouth was starting to water, too.

After a brief moment of consideration from Tsubasa, the two of them settle down at a table, a huge spread of different pastries between them. Tsubasa immediately digs into a large slice of strawberry shortcake, and almost instantly he has a spots of whipped cream all over his cheeks. Teru never thought watching another person eat would be so endearing; and yet here he was, leaning his cheek into his hand and taking miniscule bites of his triple chocolate cookie to help him resist the urge to wipe the cream off with his thumb.

If he’s being honest with himself, Teru’s known how he’s felt about Tsubasa for a while, has realized that his feelings for him far surpass that of unit mates and close friends. He can’t really place when exactly he started noticing how his eyes would follow Tsubasa at practice; or how he would feel so warm inside just by being in the same room; or how he’d come home from eating dinner after work with him and simply flop onto his bed, thinking about his smile and how the poor lighting at the restaurant still made Tsubasa’s eyes sparkle like the sun glittering off waves in the ocean.

So yeah, it’s been awhile since Teru started feeling like he wanted to hold Tsubasa’s hand and smooth his hair back to softly kiss his forehead. But Teru is also afraid of messing up and losing the wonderful friendship he has with Tsubasa. He doesn’t know what he’d do if he couldn’t do things like watch him inhale pastries like his body is some sort of vacuum cleaner for baked goods. At least, not just the two of them.

But maybe this Secret Santa exchange is his chance, he thinks, popping the last piece of his cookie into his mouth and watching with rapt attention as Tsubasa licks chocolate frosting from his current dessert off his fingers. Maybe he can finally get the courage to confess to Tsubasa -- with the perfect gift, of course.

“Alright!” Teru jumps up from his chair, fist high in the air. “Let’s do this!” he shouts. Tsubasa makes a startled choking noise from across from him, almost drowned out by the sound of Teru’s chair falling backwards to the floor at his sudden move.

Tsubasa mumbles a resigned “Teru-san” and shakes his head, but Teru can see the smile on his face as he gathers up his trash and they leave the shop, but not without stopping to grab a few cakes for Tsubasa’s siblings. He pretends not to notice how their fingers knock together as they leave, or how Tsubasa doesn’t start smiling for the rest of the day.

It’s not until Teru’s back at home at night, and is laying on his back on his bed, does he realize that his day with Tsubasa was almost like a date.

*

Only a few days after Teru stands at the door of 315 Productions, staring at the frosted glass. He looks down at the parcel in his hand, wrapped in dark green paper and a bright orange ribbon. He’d accidentally cut the square of wrapping paper too small, so one edge of the box has an extra piece hastily taped on top to cover the cardboard. He sighs and simply shifts his grip to hold the box in one hand, lifting his gaze once again to the bright blue logo.

He reaches out and takes hold of the door handle, lets out a deep breath, and pushes open the door.

Immediately he’s greeted to the sounds of loud laughter overlapping cheery Christmas music. Thanks to their decorating skills at the beginning of the month, the lounge is completely decked out for the holidays; the couches have been moved out of the way and replaced with a few folding tables that are overflowing with food. Teru can’t help but smile at the sight of Tsubasa hovering around the table beside Haruna, stuffing their faces and hogging all of the donuts, in Haruna’s case.

Tsubasa notices Teru then and his eyes instantly light up, straightening up with his plateful of food and smiling closed-lipped around his mouthful of food. Teru shoots him a wide grin back, shucking off his coat and hanging it in the front closet. His poorly wrapped package is placed gently under the tree alongside the mound of presents already there. Tsubasa greets him by handing him a plate of food, piled high with fried chicken, warm cheese dip with crackers, and various small treats.

“I saved you some, since you were running late,” Tsubasa says happily. He’s back wearing his  Santa hat from a few weeks ago, paired with a red sweater vest patterned all over with cute little snowman and a crisp white shirt. “I hope that’s enough for you, I think Touma and Asselin are making more chicken right now but it might take them a while.”

“Thanks, Tsubasa! Great vest by the way, we almost match!” He says excitedly, gesturing to his own sweater.

He spends the next few hours chatting with his fellow idols and friends, bothering Kaoru with his obnoxious sweater and general Christmas cheer, and sampling all of the amazing cooking laid out on the table in the lounge, and then coming back for seconds and thirds after he’d done a lap around the office. In the back of his mind he knew he shouldn’t, that he was going to regret it once their first dance practice after the holidays rolled around. But hey, it was Christmas; it’s fine to indulge, he told himself as he took another large bite of chicken.

Before he knew it, it was time to exchange gifts. Ken shooed everyone into the lounge to gather around the tree

“Everyone ready?” The Producer asks, clapping his hands together happily. All forty-six idols nod in unison. The tension and excitement in the air is palpable; everyone in the office is itching to know who has had them, have been curious since the moment the first paper was plucked from within the gaudy Christmas bowls.

Teru takes a deep breath and releases it slowly. This is his chance, his big moment.

The Producer pauses mischievously, letting the anticipation build for a moment more.

“Let the exchange begin!” he cries.

Instantly, Teru turns around, gift held somewhat lazily in one hand. “Yo, Tsubasa!” he says. “Merry Chris-”

The word dies in his throat as he realizes that Tsubasa has a gift, wrapped in red-and-orange striped wrapping paper, held gingerly in both hands that are reaching out in Teru’s direction.

“Teru-san! Merry Christmas!”

The sounds of the lounge fall away around them; suddenly it feels like it’s only him and Tsubasa. His world has been narrowed down to just the surprised look on Tsubasa’s face, one that’s probably mirroring his own.

They stand there staring at each other for one beat, then two. And then Teru throws his head back and starts laughing, clutching his gift for Tsubasa to his chest. He’s relieved to see Tsubasa’s surprise dissolve into giggles, hand covering his mouth, his eyes squeezing nearly closed in mirth.

Once their laughter dies down, Teru suddenly feels shy. He fiddles with the ribbon on the gift for a moment, avoiding Tsubasa’s eyes. _You can do this, Tendo_ , he thinks, and looks back up at Tsubasa with new determination.

“Tsubasa,” he starts, pushing the gift in his direction. “S-since the first day we met, I knew you were someone who was going to mean a lot to me. I love singing with you, dancing with you, even eating with you, even if I have no idea how your appetite can be that insatiable.” Tsubasa laughs and Teru grins. He straightens his shoulders and continues as Tsubasa takes the package from his hands, slowly unwrapping it.

“I’m so glad we’re friends. But a little while ago, I realized that I wanted more with you. I’m not good at thinking ahead but,” his face goes beet red and he blurts out: “I want to see the view you’re searching for! Please go out with me!" 

Tsubasa’s eyes widen comically huge, a flush building from his collarbones all the way up to his hairline. His eyes flit between Teru’s earnest face and the gifts laying in his hands. Teru had picked out a huge, soft grey scarf with a single line each of red, green, and blue running down the middle, and a shiny gold-coloured pin in the shape of an airplane. He was quite proud of his choices, if he did say so himself.

“Teru-san…” Tsubasa said quietly, tears blurring his vision but the strength of his smile feels like its upped the temperature in the room, like the sun bursting through the windows. “I’m so happy, thank you!” He throws his arms around Teru and pulls him close for a moment; Teru can’t help but nuzzle his face into the warmth of Tsubasa’s shoulder, feeling the soft touch of a fuzzy snowman against his cheek. Then Tsubasa pulls back only far enough so that they can rest their foreheads together, and Tsubasa is smiling at him like he’s the best view in the entire universe. “And it would be my pleasure to date the future first star of the idol world,” Tsubasa teases lightly

Teru grins. “Right? Let’s reach the top together, Tsubasa!”

And then Tsubasa bridges the distance between them, and the touch of his lips against Teru’s make him feel like he’s tasting fireworks. Teru reaches up and takes Tsubasa’s face into his hands, pushing up into him as if he’s been starved for this touch his entire life.

It’s not the longest kiss Teru’s ever had, but when they both pull back and Tsubasa has that sweet small smile, Teru knows it was the best kiss of his life.

*

Later the two of them are sitting together on the couch in the lounge, holding hands and enjoying each other’s warmth and eating snacks, faces illuminated by the shimmering Christmas tree lights. Tsubasa’s scarf and pin sit beside Teru’s new huge box set of tokusatsu movies on the table.

Kaoru walks up to them as Teru has just taken a huge gulp of beer, cradling a small dolphin plush in his hands -- Teru can just make out the words on the frog-shaped tag looped around its neck: _To: Kaoru-san!! From: Pierre!!!!!!! Ya-fuu!_ The words are accompanied by two floating head drawings of what appear to be Pierre and Kaoru.

“So,” he starts, a smug smile on his face. “I see that the two of you have finally got yourselves together.”

Tsubasa tilts his head questioningly. “‘Finally’?” His eyes widen. “Kaoru-san, did you know how we felt about each other? How?”

Kaoru snorts, pushing his glasses up on his nose with a finger. “Of course I did. The two of you are not particularly subtle. You both just needed a push to get your heads out of the ground.”

“What are you saying, Kaoru-san? Did you have something to do with this?”

He immediately goes crimson all over. “O-of course not!” he sputters. “That would be absolutely ridiculous, I can’t believe you’d even suggest that, Kashiwagi! It’s absolutely none of my business on whether the two of you get together!”

“The harder you deny it, the more I think you actually _do_ care,” Teru teases, rubbing chin between his thumb and pointer finger in thought. Kaoru decides to answer by turning on his heel and stalking away with his nose in the air. Teru and Tsubasa exchange a look before falling into a fit of giggles leaning into each other as they laugh.

With the Christmas tree glittering in the corner of his vision and the sound of Tsubasa’s adorable laughter in his ear, Teru thinks that this Christmas is going to be a hard one to beat.

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on twitter @dupergal for lots more SideM goodness! :3c
> 
> (also title is from the song Over the Sunshine from King of Prism pls go listen to it it's so cute)


End file.
